The proposal describes the development of an integrated series of research projects aimed at understanding the social and psychological etiological bases of adolescent drug abuse. The research framework involves family background variables, interpersonal process and peer influence variables, situational variables, sociocultural variables, and other measurable factors such as attribution processes that have been considered theoretically or shown empirically to be relevant to understanding the developments of drug use patterns. Seven specific research projects are described in detail, with each project including numerous separate but related studies. Particular attention is paid to predictive, longitudinal research, causal modeling, and multimethod measurement. Implementation of the coordinated research effort rests with a professional staff of one dozen persons. In addition, consultants are utilized in research workshops organized to evaluate the relevance of new methodological techniques to drug abuse research and to produce state-of-the-art introductions and reviews of the methods. Two committees of individuals committed to understanding drug abuse, but not involved in the research effort itself, provide input to the research program; these are a university-based research advisory committee and a community-based advisory council.